Sometimes it takes an avalanche to move a mountain.
Reacting to events that claimed two lives and injured 30 others during the Big Iron Shootout event in Revelstoke last month, the provincial government recently declared a need for increased safety regulations on snowmobiles and their operators.
Kash Heed, B.C. Solicitor General and Public Safety Minister, on March 15 announced that new policies would be instituted by November 2011 to enforce driver licensing, snowmobile registration, insurance and the closure of mountain trails during periods of high avalanche risk.
While Heed's enthusiasm may be reassuring to some, his promises are old news to Nelson Bastien, president of the Powder Mountain Snowmobile Club.
"We've been fighting for at least 12 years, begging them to get busy with setting insurance and registration up," he said.
"They've made promises before but it's taken a colossal amount of time for the government to actually listen to us. So far, they're barking like they usually do, but there's been no real commitment."
When it comes to snowmobile safety in Canada, B.C. finishes dead last, according to a summary of provincial and territorial legislation compiled by the Canadian Pediatric Society that was prepared in 2007 and updated in February 2009.
Currently, the province's only stipulation is that drivers possess a valid motor vehicle licence if they plan to travel on or across a highway.
Meanwhile, many other provinces have already established a minimum age for the operation of a snowmobile, as well as mandatory training programs and the use of protective headgear for all riders.
While it's still unclear how the government will address matters of age and instruction, Bastien agrees that both licensing and registration are a good start. Most importantly, an increased level of communication would result from having all snowmobile drivers united under a common legal standard.
"Our club offers courses and safety training for both children and adults," Bastien said.
"We're doing a lot, but we can't reach enough of the riders for us to pass on that information. Of all the snowmobile owners in B.C., maybe 10 per cent are accessing what clubs have to offer because they are registered and involved in the organized part of snowmobiling."
Bastien said a shared discourse would equip snowmobilers with the necessary skills and understanding to be more conscientious riders. He acknowledges that, as with any vehicle, increased governmental regulation will not resolve every safety concern.
Each driver will always retain a level of responsibility that cannot be fully controlled by administrative action.
"There should be more legislation in place that will educate snowmobilers about how to ride safely," he said. "Licensing won't prevent another Revelstoke from happening if the drivers don't understand the risks they're facing out there. They need to learn what they're up against and how to help each other out."
Increased communication would also help develop a dialogue between authorities, clubs and riders, giving snowmobilers a clearer idea of when, where and how far they may roam.
"It's like hunting," Bastien said. "When a hunter buys their license, they get a synopsis of what they can and can't do. The Province needs to get a synopsis going of where snowmobiles can and can't go. Right now, there's nothing telling riders these things."
Regardless of the province's intent to develop new legislation, Bastien points out that a lot of grief might have been spared had officials taken the expert opinion of snowmobile clubs more seriously.
"They've had a lot of stupid things happen because the government refused to help the local community prevent them," he says.
"For example, both the government and RCMP were asked to stop that event [in Revelstoke] from happening, and they didn't. It could have been prevented. But they didn't listen."
